The Savannah Sand Gnats' five-game winning streak, their longest of the season, ended Thursday night with a 6-3 loss to the Rome Braves.

A Grayson Stadium crowd of 1,608 watched as Rome, with the South Atlantic League's best record at 36-16, beat Savannah (21-32), which owned the longest current winning streak, in the opener of a four-game series.

Savannah left 10 runners on base compared to only one by Rome.

Savannah took a 1-0 lead when Edgardo Baez doubled to drive in Ofilio Castro in the bottom of the third inning.

Baez, who was 4-for-5, extended his hitting streak to a team-high 12 games - a hit in each of the 12 games in which he has played for Savannah since returning from high Class A Potomac (Va.) on May 20.

Baez said the organization told him he soon should be called up again. The Puerto Rican started the season with Potomac and played 20 games before being sent to Savannah.

"I was in high A and they sent me down," said Baez, who played in the SAL All-Star game last season as a Sand Gnat. "They told me three or four weeks (in Savannah.) I'm hitting the ball well."

Rome countered in the fourth inning when Eric Campbell hit a three-run home run to left-center field to give the Braves a 3-1 lead. Campbell's soaring shot snapped Savannah starter Gene Yost's streak of not allowing a run in 21.1 innings.

Savannah pulled closer in the bottom of the fourth when Tim Pahuta hit a home run to right field off Rome starter Beau Jones to cut the score to 3-2. It was Pahuta's first homer as a Sand Gnat.

Jones, a left-hander, struck out seven, walked four and allowed two earned runs and five hits in four innings. He was relieved by right-hander Asher Demme (2-0), who struck out four, walked two and allowed three hits in his second appearance as a Brave.

In the sixth inning, Rome rumbled and Savannah crumbled. Isaiah Ka'aihue of Kailua, Hawaii, nicknamed "The Hawaiian Punch," hit an RBI double to give the Braves a 4-2 lead. Campbell followed with an RBI single for a 5-2 lead. Manny Rodriguez's sacrifice fly put Rome ahead, 6-2.

At that point, Savannah right-hander Ricky Shefka entered to relieve Yost (3-1), a left-hander who struck out two, walked three and allowed six earned runs and six hits in 5.2 innings. Shefka lasted 1.1 innings, facing four batters and striking out one without allowing a hit or walk.

Savannah right-hander Yader Peralta made his second appearance as a Sand Gnat to start the eighth inning.

Peralta walked one batter in an inning of work.

Right-hander Don Levinski made his third appearance as a Sand Gnat to start the ninth inning. He finished the half-inning with a strikeout.

In the bottom of the ninth, Savannah's Brian Peacock homered to left field off Rome right-hander Tyler Bullock to cut the score to 6-3. It was Peacock's team-high eighth home run.